Vancouver has put its mark on the creative music world in the last
decade or so through its incubation and development of a thriving
art colony. Bruce Freedman has been an active participant in that
movement throughout the 1990s and into the new century. In addition
to fronting his own groups and playing with many of the leading names
of the city, he has been a long-time force with the acclaimed NOW
Orchestra. On Enormous Moments, Freedman joins with fellow
Vancouver artists Clyde Reed and Dylan van der Schyff on an uplifting,
supercharged trio flight where the music speeds along on high-octane
fuel used for propulsion. Freedman plays with a cutting edge that
slices to the heart of the theme lines and dissects them while spinning
out long passages of improvised splendor. The recording is a true
showcase for his improvising talent, allowing him the pleasure of
expounding at length while expressing himself with vivid, wide-open
phrasing. He is equally acute on alto and soprano. Freedman takes
his horns down twisting and turning roads and easily negotiates every
curve.

While Freedman is the prevalent force on this date, the contributions
of both Reed and van der Schyff are inseparable from the success of
the session. The drum accents and emphasis from van der Schyff are
intricate and stimulating. He does not project in an overt manner
but instead builds entangled percussion webs using cymbals and rims
to embellish everything Freedman throws at him. As the tunes evolve,
he gets more complex and aggressive, inserting appropriately placed
bursts of deepening sound without attempting to overwhelm. Reed uses
the bow for specific emphasis, but he primarily remains in pizzicato
mode on bass. He produces a densely resonating tone that subtly encases
each selection. His patterns begin with a recurring beat but soon
evolve into ambitious wanderings, yet he always finds the homeport
to solidify the songs with his anchoring strength.

Freedman composed seven of the eight tunes, giving the performance
a fresh sound and giving himself the platform from which to dive assertively
into his extended dissertations. His interpretative approach to Wayne
Shorter's "Footprints" with its captivating theme line
and ensuing diversions fits the mold he casts with his own tunes,
and the program zooms forward without any hesitations. This is excellently
crafted and provocative music with full emphasis on the creative side
of the equation. I found myself listening to it repeatedly and being
rewarded every time.